Wheel puller



Sept. 24, 1968 K. c. CONVERSE WHEEL FULLER Filed April 17, 1967 INVENTOR.

KEITH C. CONVERSE 4 A ORNEY United States Patent 3,402,455 WHEEL PULLER Keith C. Converse, Pawnee Rock, Kans. 67567 Filed Apr. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 631,246 4 Claims. (Cl. 29-261) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an improved wheel puller structure and, more particularly, to a wheel puller having a biasing means to urge the attachment jaws thereon to a working position for ease of connecting to a wheel member to be removed. Still more specifically, this invention relates to biasing means attachable to conventional wheel pullers to urge the attachment jaws to a working position without restricting the vertical and lateral adjustability thereof.

Numerous types of wheel pullers are known to the prior art having a main support or reaction bar, an actuator stern screw threaded through a mid-portion of the support bar, and working jaw members pivotally connected to opposite ends of the support bar. In use of the conventional wheel puller, the jaw members are engageable with the outer sides of a wheel member and the actuator stem screw is then threaded towards the wheel member for engagement with the wheel axle to apply a pulling force against the wheel member through the jaw members. However, the placing and holding of the jaw members in engagement with the wheel member while also rotating the actuator stem screw proves to be extremely diificult if not impossible by one using only his two hands.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, an improved wheel puller structure is provided having a main support body with opposite slotted ends thereof adapted to receive working jaw members pivotally mounted there in. An actuator stem member is threadedly mounted within a central opening in the support body adapted to engage a wheel axle and regulate the distance of the support body therefrom. The working jaw members are provided with outer hook portions adapted to engage opposite sides of a wheel member to be removed and are connected by nut and bolt members to the support body so as to be adjustable both laterally and axially. A biasing means is mounted on the support body and includes a pair of spring assemblies each engageable with respective ones of the jaw members to bias the same inwardly towards the actuator stem member. More specifically, each spring assembly includes a tubular section slidably mounted on the support body having a spring member secured thereto. Upper laterally extended end portions of the spring members are engageable with the respective jaw members to pivot the hook portions inwardly. The off-set or laterally extended relationship of the upper end of the spring members to the tubular sections acts to incline the same relative to the support body so as to be frictionally engageable with the support body and unmovable in usage. However, the spring assemblies can be moved into axial alignment with the support body for sliding movement thereon during adjusting movement of the jaw members.

In another embodiment of this invention, a new biasing means is used with the aforementioned actuator stem member and working jaw members. A support body is provided with a downwardly depending lug section about a central threaded opening used to receive the actuator stem member. The lug section is provided with laterally extending wing portions each adapted to receive one end of a spring member thereon forming a part of the biasing means. The other ends of the spring members are mounted within selected one of the spaced openings in the elongated jaw members so as to bias the same inwardly towards the actuator stem member for use in engagement with a wheel member to be removed.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new improved wheel puller structure overcoming the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wheel puller structure having a main support body, working jaw members pivotally connected to opposite ends of the support body, and biasing means connected to the support body engageable with the jaw members so as to move the same inwardly into a working condition for easy attachment of the wheel puller structure to a wheel member.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a biasing means readily mountable upon a conventional wheel puller structure so as to provide a biasing force against the working jaw members to bias the same inwardly towards the operating or usage position.

Still, one other object of this invention is to provide a biasing means readily connectible to a conventional wheel puller structure so as to be engageable with the working jaw members irregardless of the axial and lateral adjustable movement of the jaw members.

One other object of this invention is to provide a wheel puller structure having a main support body, elongated working jaw members pivotally connected to opposite ends of the support body, and spring members connected to respective ones of the jaw members and a central lug portion of the support body so as to bias the jaw members inwardly into a working position.

One further object of this invention is to provide a wheel puller structure that is simple to use, economical to manufacture, and reliable in operation.

Various other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a wheel puller structure of this invention having biasing means mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one end portion of the wheel puller structure of this invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a second embodiment of a wheel puller structure of this invention illustrated as being used to remove a wheel member;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the wheel puller structure of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 66 in FIG. 3.

The following is a discussion and description of preferred specific embodiments of the new wheel puller structures of this invention, such being made with reference to the drawings, whereupon the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/or structure. It is to be understood that such discussion and description is not to unduly limit the scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1, a wheel puller structure of this invention is indicated generally at 12. The wheel puller structure 12 includes a main support body 14; a pair of jaw members 16 and 17 pivotally connected to opposite ends respectively of the support body 14; an actuator stem member 19 mounted in a threaded opening 21 in the central portion of the support body 14; and biasing means 23 connected to the support body 14 engageable with the jaw members 16 and 17, respectively.

The support body 14 is of generally rectangular shape in transverse cross section having elongated parallel slots at opposite ends thereof, each adapted to receive one of the jaw members 16 and 17 therein. The slots 25 define parallel arm portions 27 and 28 having a plurality of spaced openings therein for reasons to become obvious. In this embodiment, it is seen that the openings are illustrated as three pairs of axial aligned holes 31 at each 0pposite end of the support body 14 so as to permit laterally adjustable positions of the jaw members 16 and 17 as will be explained.

The actuator stem member 19 is merely an elongated threaded bolt member having an upper hexagon head portion 33 adapted to receive a turning wrench thereon, as shown in FIG. 3, and having a lower portion thereof inclined to form a pointed end portion 35 adaptable for engagement with a wheel axle as will be explained.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the jaw members 16 and 17 are substantially identical and only one need be described in detail. The jaw member 16 includes an elongated body portion 37 having one end thereof formed with a laterally extended hook portion 38 adapted to engage a wheel member. A plurality of equally spaced holes 40 are extneded through the body portion 37 of the jaw member 16 thereby providing axially adjustable positions relative to the support body 14 for reasons to become obvious. In the assembly of the jaw members 16 and 17 on the support body 14, it is obvious that the jaw members 16 and 17 are placed in their respertive slots 25 whereupon nut and bolt members 42 are extended through aligned holes 40 and 31 in the arm positions 27, 28 and the support body 14, respectively. It is also noted that the hook portions 38 are faced inwardly towards the actuator stem member 19 for reasons to become obvious. It is seen that the jaw members 16 and 17 can be moved laterally and connected by the nut and bolt members 42 to any one of the holes 31 or can be moved axially so as to be connectible to any one of the holes 40 to provide for ready adjustability in any direction.

The biasing means 23 consists of a pair of spring assemblies 44 and 45 each connected to opposite ends of the support body 14 and engageable with jaw members 16 and 17, respectively. As the spring assemblies 44 and 45 are substantially identical, only spring assembly 45 need be described in detail. As noted in FIG. 2, the spring assembly 45 is constructed of a tubular sleeve section 47 having a spring member 49 secured thereto. The tubular sleeve section 47 is adapted to be slidably mounted over the support body 14 and having a laterally extended L- shaped forward portion 51 adapted to receive the spring member 49 therein. More specifically, the spring member 49 is formed with a cylindrical main body section 53 with one leg portion 54 secured as by welding to the upper surface of the tubular sleeve section 47 and another leg portion 56 is extended upwardly therefrom. The upper leg portion 56 is provided with an off-set angularly shaped actuator section having an outer arm portion 61 engageable with the jaw member 17 to bias the same clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, about the nut and bolt member 42.

In the assembly of the biasing means 23 with the support body 14, it is obvious that the nut and bolt members 42 can be removed from the holes 31 and 40 to release the jaw members 16 and 17 whereupon the tubular sleeve sections 47 can be slidably mounted over the support body 14. Then, the jaw members 16 and 17 can be readlly reassembled upon the support body 14 to present the structure shown in FIG. 1.

In the use and operation of the wheel puller structure 12 of this invention, it is seen that the jaw members 16 and 17 are continuously biased inwardly towards the act uator stem member 19 so as to be in engagement with the wheel member to be removed. It is seen that outward movement of the jaw members 16 and 17 meets resistance from the spring members 49 in the spring assemblies 44 and 45 whereupon the jaw members 16 and 17 can be snapped about a wheel member and the actuator stem member 19 can be moved inwardly into engagement with a Wheel axle. This permits the removal of the wheel member with the spring members 49 acting to hold the jaw members 16 and 17 in engagement with the wheel member allowing a free hand of the operator for then holding the support body 14 and additionally turning the actuator stem member 19 for the conventional wheel removing operation. It is obvious that the fit of the tubular sleeve sections 47 upon the support body 14 permits movement axially thereon and the contact of the offset portion of the spring members 49 with the respective jaw members 16 and 17 operates to present a tilting engagement of the tubular sleeve sections 47 and frictional resistance against movement. Additionally, it is obvious that set screws (not shown) could be extended through the tubular sleeve sections 47 and engageable with the support body 14 to prevent axial movement thereof.

In a second embodiment of this invention as illustrated in FIGS. 36, inclusive, a wheel puller structure 64 is illustrated as having an identical pair of the jaw members 16 and 17 pivotally connected to opposite ends of a main body support 66 and a previously described actuator stem member 19 mounted through a central threaded opening 68 of the support body 66. The support body 66 is substantially identical to that in the first embodiment except the same is provided with a downwardly extended lug section 69 forming an extension of the threaded opening 68 and mid-portion of the support body 66. The lug section 69 is additionally provided with laterally extended opposed wing portions 72 and 74, each extended below the support body 66 and towards the lower hook portions 38 of the jaw members 16 and 17.

In the wheel puller structure 64, a biasing means 75 is used which consists of a pair of elongated tension spring members 76 each having one end formed with a hook portion 77 mountable *within respective holes 79 in the wing portions 72 and 74. The opposite ends of the spring members 76 are formed with hook portions 81 adaptable to be mounted within a selected one of the plurality of spaced holes 40 in the jaw members 16 and 17. It is seen, therefore, that the spring members 76 are operable to pull the jaw members 16 and 17 inwardly about their nut and bolt members 42 so as to bias the lower hook portions 38 inwardly for engagement with a wheel member 83 to be removed.

In the use and operation of the wheel puller structure 64 of this invention, it is seen as shown in FIG. 3, the lower hook portions 77 of the jaw members 16 and 17 are mountable on opposite sides of the wheel member 83 whereupon the spring members 76 are operable to maintain the hook portions 77 in engagement therewith. It is seen that a wrench member 86 is mountable about the hexagonal head portion 33 of the actuator stem member 19 to rotate the same and move the pointed portion 35 into engagement with the outward end of a wheel axle 88. Continued rotational movement of the actuator stem member 19 operates to move the support body 14 outwardly or away from the wheel axle 88 and concurrently pull the wheel member 83 therewith. It is obvious that the outer hook portions 81 of the spring member 76 can be mounted in selected ones of the plurality of adjusting holes 40 of the jaw members 16 and 17 so as to increase and decrease the inward pressure towards each other and also permit the use thereof regardless of the adjusted position of the jaw members 16 and 17 relative to the support body 66.

It is seen that the wheel puller structures of this invention provide new and simplified mean of biasing the jaw members thereof inwardly into working engagement with the wheel members, hearings, or plates to be removed from a press-fit or snug condition. The wheel puller structures are easy to use by one person and, therefore, results in considerable savings in time and labor.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description of preferred specific embodiments of applicants wheel puller structures, relative simple and inexpensive means have been provided which are readily attachable to a conventional wheel puller structure or may be a specifically con structed wheel puller structure to achieve a desired economical end result. Applicants construction eliminates a great deal of time-consuming and tedious work involved in removing wheel members as the same is hard to achieve by using only one persons hands.

While the invention has been described in connection with preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this invention is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is described by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wheel puller structure, comprising:

(a) a main support body,

(b) an actuator stern member mounted in said support body,

(c) attachment jaw members pivotally connected to opposite ends of said support body on opposite sides of said actuator stern member,

(d) biasing means connected to said support body engageable with said attachment jaws to resiliently bias working ends of same toward each other,

(c) said attachment jaw members adjustably mounted on said support body for movement transversely thereof,

(f) said biasing means having a spring assembly adjacent each of said attachment jaw members,

(g) said spring assembly having a tubular body slidably mounted on said support body and a spring member secured to said tubular body engageable with a respective one of said attachment jaw members, and

(h) said tubular bodies movable axially along said support body and angled therewith on contact of said spring members and said attachment jaw members to prevent axial movement.

2. A Wheel puller structure as described in claim 1,

wherein:

(a) said tubular body of a rectangular sleeve shape in transverse cross section and slightly larger than said support body so as to be slidably mounted thereon, and

(b) said spring member having an upper portion offset relative to said tubular body so as to bias said attachment jaw members inwardly toward said actuator stem member.

3. A wheel puller structure, comprising:

(a) a main support body,

(b) an actuator stern member mounted in said support body,

(c) attachment jaw members pivotally interconnected to opposite ends of said support body on opposite sides of said actuator stem member and adjustably movable axially of said actuator stem member,

(d) biasing means mounted on opposite ends of said support body selectively movable axially of said support body into engagement with said attachment jaws to resiliently bias working ends of same toward each other, and

(e) said biasing means engageable with a portion of said respective attachment jaws and held in clamped relationship with said support body by engagement with said attachment jaws.

4. A wheel puller structure as described in claim 3,

wherein:

(a) said biasing means having a tubular body slidably mounted on said support body and a spring member secured to said tubular body engagcable with a respective one of said attachment jaw members, and

(b) said attachment jaw members adjustably mounted on said support body for movement axially thereof whereby said tubular bodies are movable to maintain biasing contact with said attachment jaw members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,516,298 11/1924 Iverson 29-261 1,534,350 4/1925 Bassett 29-261 1,550,285 8/1925 Sherman 29-261 X 1,584,855 5/1926 Eisenhuth 29-261 1,602,704 10/ 1926 Renari 29-261 X 1,777,616 10/1930 Hommel 29-261 X 1,826,631 10/1931 Payne 29-262 1,827,475 10/1931 Keefer 29-261 X 2,024,891 12/1935 Spuler et al. 29-261 2,188,074 1/1940 Condon 29-261 2,374,861 5/1945 Graham 29-261 3,076,259 2/ 1963 Stebbins 29-259 FOREIGN PATENTS 825,624 12/ 1937 France.

228,452 2/ 1925 Great Britain.

353,931 7/1931 Great Britain.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Primary Examiner. 

